TThe Australian football world is in turmoil following reports that a little-known West Sydney start-up, run by a 27-year-old former manager of a family business, has offered $ 60 million on three years from 2021 to 22 to buy Australian streaming rights. one of the most watched sports competitions in the world. Who is this mysterious new player on the stage and how do they mix it up with the big guns?
What is Sports Flick?
Unless you are a fan of Nicaraguan football or the Serbian rugby league, you are unlikely to have heard of this little-known streaming service. Sports Flick’s website is on a tight budget, but its financial strength apparently isn’t, having blinded current rights holders Optus and other big streaming players with a big bid in a recent auction at the ‘blinded.
What other rights does he currently have?
Not bad. Sports Flick has quietly cultivated a niche offering that includes the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the Liga Primera de Nicaragua and the Arabian Gulf League. Last month it won the K-League rights, which were also previously owned by Optus. On Monday, the company also confirmed the acquisition of the Austrian Bundesliga streaming rights until 2022 and teased further coups.
Besides football, its content also includes the Serbian Rugby League, some cricket test matches, baseball, and unarmed matches. The going rate for a subscription is $ 14.99 per month or $ 99.99 per year, so customers should be able to either fill their boots with Kylian Mbappé and amateur bodybuilding or purchase pay-per-view videos.
“We are very proud of the sports rights platform that we offer and look forward to working with more leagues and sports in the future,” Sports Flick spokesperson Michael Turner said. “We are contacted daily by sports organizations looking to partner with us who believe in our strategy and believe that Sports Flick is the ideal solution for their respective competitions.”
Who is the boss?
General manager Dylan Azzopardi says he founded Sports Flick in 2019 when he was 25. His LinkedIn profile indicates that he is an “entrepreneur with a proven track record of working in the media production industry” and a graduate of Tafe.
“I worked for my father’s construction company and was so bored at work that I decided one day to start my own digital broadcasting company in Australia,” Azzopardi told Sporting News last year.
“Once I got it all sorted out, I started contacting people. I just called the UAE League and asked them if they wanted to partner with an Australian digital broadcaster. It was the door that opened, then she took off.
Azzopardi’s LinkedIn connections are extensive and include a number of high profile executives, including Football Australia CEO James Johnson. His 300 or so Instagram followers include John Ibrahim’s former bodyguard Neil Cummins. Turner told Guardian Australia that Cummins was “categorically not involved in Sports Flick”.
Where does the money come from?
It’s not clear. When approached by Guardian Australia, Sports Flick declined to provide information on the identity of any funder and said details of its rights agreements were commercial confidential.
Company records show that most of the company’s stakeholders are based in a few western suburbs of Sydney. Sports Flick’s parent company is DCA Sydney Enterprises, which is run by Azzopardi and his brother Justin, and has a Riverstone home address registered as his business address.
DCA Sydney Enterprises has four shareholders. They include the company’s CFO, Karla Pichardo, who is based in Green Valley and works as an accountant for Ingleburn Occhiuto Partners. Blacktown local Aziz Khalaf is also of interest, as is NE Group, whose Arndell Park address is that of Vella Bros. Smash Repairs.
The other shareholder is Red Star Belgrade Rugby League (WA) Pty Ltd, the Australian branch of the Serbia-based rugby league team, coached by former NRL coach Phil Economidis. Owned by Perth-based Colin Kleyweg, who is also the Commercial Director of Sports Flick, the company’s listed address is just around the corner from Azzopardi’s home in Riverstone.
According to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, DCA Sydney Enterprises also owns a company called Mera House, whose main establishment is the address of a Darlinghurst restaurant called Two Doors.
What is the UEFA application process like?
Industry sources say little is known about UEFA’s criteria, but money appears to be the primary factor in determining successful bidders.
The exact timing of the official confirmation of any new partnership is unknown, but an announcement could be made in the coming weeks.
What does this mean for football fans in Australia?
It depends on the league (s) you follow. If the answer is multiple, you will have to spend. If Sports Flick succeeds in securing the rights to the Champions League from the 2021-22 season, and Optus still has the English Premier League, while Fox Sports and Kayo show the A-League with other European leagues, from multiple expenses will be required.